FLYING HIGH OVER EUROPE
For globetrotters-collectors, this project initiated by Ion Schiau, founder of the Romanian Swiss timepiece distribution firm, celebrates the creation of the first-ever European air link.
Tales exist which have been forgotten by everyone, or almost. Fortunately, amazing initiatives come to the fore to remind us of these. The tale which Tissot tells is one of these. And, with this new limited edition, we take a journey through time. One hundred years ago, the Franco-Romanian airline company, founded on April 23, 1920, created the first-ever transcontinental airline in the world. Back then, the planes took off from Paris, direction Istanbul, with stopovers in Prague, Vienna and even Budapest and Bucharest. The Heritage Navigator “East Arrow” watch (Sa?geata Orientului in Romanian) pays tribute to this fabulous era by reproducing the adornments of the model which honored the 160th anniversary of the Swatch Group brand back in 2016. Its black dial center stages the names of 24 cities. Each city is located in one of the 24 time zones. On this traveler’s watch, three capitals, the Roman one, the French one and Istanbul, are showcased in red.
The ETA 2893 caliber, nestling inside a 43 mm-diameter steel case, drives the world time complication and delivers a power reserve of some 42 hours. Incidentally, its chronometric accuracy is COSC-certified.
The “Sa?geata Orientului” is produced as a 444-piece series. This number was not a random choice. It represents the distance covered between the stopover airports. The timepiece is presented in a leather travel set accompanied by two straps, a watchmaker’s loupe and a book which recounts this fantastic entrepreneurial adventure.
Price: EUR1,530 www.tissotwatches.com
By Dan Diaconu